<div><p>A New Zealand artist has sculpted the head of the government's environment minister out of cow dung in a conservation protest.</p><p>Sculptor Sam Mahon from Canterbury in the South Island usually works in bronze but he adapted his technique to fill a cast with cow dung, finishing with a bronze-like bust of minister Nick Smith.</p><p>The artist said Thursday he was upset about plans to dam a local river and the pollution of waterways by effluent from dairy farms.</p><p>"The only way I can find to comment about this is to use the very medium that's killing our rivers to sculpt his beautiful face," Mahon told the TV3 network.</p><p>Smith took the protest in good spirit, describing it as "a bit of a laugh".</p><p>"Though I?d also say, excuse the pun, I?d call it 'crap art'."</p><p>Mahon has put the sculpture for sale on the Internet but is not worried if it fails to find a buyer.</p><p>"I'll just regrind it and spread it in the garden," he said.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=62234916&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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